Gardens vegetable, flower or other?

[AtomicEraTom]

Glad I didn't plant my flowers outside yet, they would not be liking this snow!

 

[LocktownDog]

Tulips are blooming, blackberries and grapes are in bud, fruit trees are thriving. Just planted the corn, carrots, and leeks. Cukes, peppers, melons, tomatoes will be in a week or two. Herbs and strawberries are completely taking over their dedicated bed. Hoping to get tobacco into the ground this year too.

Looks like this season should be a decent one, compared to last anyway. Snow in the first week of June did not make me or the veggies happy.

 

[Missy Hellfire]

Colonel, your garden is magnificent! Oh for the beautiful Florida weather rather than the capricious beastie which is the British weather. It has been unseasonably warm here at the moment, about 20 or so degrees centigrade but I'm wary to put my cucumbers and courgettes in the greenhouse just yet in case a frost sneaks up and gets me. The onions and garlic are coming up, the peas and beans are doing wonderfully and I am waiting for the beetroot to sprout. I am holding fire with the lettuce and tender greens just yet until I am convinced that the warmth is going to stay! Even with the most clement weather though I won't see any tomatoes, courgettes or cucumbers until mid to late summer.

What do people do with the fruits of their gardens? Do you preserve it or eat it as it comes?

 

[Colonel]

Colonel, your garden is magnificent! Oh for the beautiful Florida weather rather than the capricious beastie which is the British weather. It has been unseasonably warm here at the moment, about 20 or so degrees centigrade but I'm wary to put my cucumbers and courgettes in the greenhouse just yet in case a frost sneaks up and gets me. The onions and garlic are coming up, the peas and beans are doing wonderfully and I am waiting for the beetroot to sprout. I am holding fire with the lettuce and tender greens just yet until I am convinced that the warmth is going to stay! Even with the most clement weather though I won't see any tomatoes, courgettes or cucumbers until mid to late summer.

What do people do with the fruits of their gardens? Do you preserve it or eat it as it comes?

Thank you, ma'am. We do both. We try to keep up with the fresh vegetables by eating them fresh and by giving away the surplus, but we also can all that we have left. Those who live in areas with less humidity tend to do more dehydrating, but we mostly stick with canning our surplus. We recently got a larger pressure canner - this new one will let us can 14 quart jars at a time.

I have more photos of the garden - and our chickens - at The Southern Agrarian.

 

[jamespowers]

Tulips are blooming, blackberries and grapes are in bud, fruit trees are thriving. Just planted the corn, carrots, and leeks. Cukes, peppers, melons, tomatoes will be in a week or two. Herbs and strawberries are completely taking over their dedicated bed. Hoping to get tobacco into the ground this year too.

Looks like this season should be a decent one, compared to last anyway. Snow in the first week of June did not make me or the veggies happy.

I hope it is the same here but the night time temperatuires are still too cold here to get half of what you planted into the ground---especially melons.

 

[jamespowers]

Colonel, your garden is magnificent! Oh for the beautiful Florida weather rather than the capricious beastie which is the British weather. It has been unseasonably warm here at the moment, about 20 or so degrees centigrade but I'm wary to put my cucumbers and courgettes in the greenhouse just yet in case a frost sneaks up and gets me. The onions and garlic are coming up, the peas and beans are doing wonderfully and I am waiting for the beetroot to sprout. I am holding fire with the lettuce and tender greens just yet until I am convinced that the warmth is going to stay! Even with the most clement weather though I won't see any tomatoes, courgettes or cucumbers until mid to late summer.

What do people do with the fruits of their gardens? Do you preserve it or eat it as it comes?

Well, you can certainly grow kale and swiss chard there if the weather stays cold. They both seem to like cold weather.
I do both as well. Not likely I am going to can oranges, tangerines and lemons though.

 

[RBH]

I have more photos of the garden - and our chickens - at The Southern Agrarian.

A very neat site.. thanks for the link!

 

[rue]

Thank you, ma'am. We do both. We try to keep up with the fresh vegetables by eating them fresh and by giving away the surplus, but we also can all that we have left. Those who live in areas with less humidity tend to do more dehydrating, but we mostly stick with canning our surplus. We recently got a larger pressure canner - this new one will let us can 14 quart jars at a time.

I have more photos of the garden - and our chickens - at The Southern Agrarian.

Your blog is wonderful Colonel. I'm so jealous that you have chickens.

 

[Colonel]

Your blog is wonderful Colonel. I'm so jealous that you have chickens.

Thank you, ma'am. In addition to the chickens we have now (19 - Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, and Araconas), there are 38 fertile Rhode Island Red eggs in the incubator that are due to hatch on May 3. I'll try to post photos when they arrive.

 

[rue]

Thank you, ma'am. In addition to the chickens we have now (19 - Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, and Araconas), there are 38 fertile eggs in the incubator that are due to hatch on May 3. I'll try to post photos when they arrive.

You're so lucky. We can't have chickens in the suburbs. I hope you do share pictures

 

[Missy Hellfire]

Colonel, what a wonderful blog! How about that chicken snake? We don't have anything of the sort here in the UK so I don't quite know what I would do if I found a fellow like that in my chicken coop!

Canning isn't so big here in the UK I think, we are more likely to preserve our produce by bottling, pickling or making in to preserve or chutneys. I am hoping that my tomato crop will be sufficient for a few jars of chutney for over the winter.

My beetroot seeds are a no-show at the moment and I am doing almost constant battle with a blackbird as well!

 

[jamespowers]

Colonel, what a wonderful blog! How about that chicken snake? We don't have anything of the sort here in the UK so I don't quite know what I would do if I found a fellow like that in my chicken coop!

Canning isn't so big here in the UK I think, we are more likely to preserve our produce by bottling, pickling or making in to preserve or chutneys. I am hoping that my tomato crop will be sufficient for a few jars of chutney for over the winter.

My beetroot seeds are a no-show at the moment and I am doing almost constant battle with a blackbird as well!

I actually have a few tomatoes left over from last year in the freezer. Wash, foil wrap and freeze.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

I'm going to make a concerted effort to grow rhubarb this winter here in the Antipodes, the only place you can purchase it, is in Cans in the pommie isle of the local IGA Supermarkets, at $3.50 a small can!!

 

[jamespowers]

I'm going to make a concerted effort to grow rhubarb this winter here in the Antipodes, the only place you can purchase it, is in Cans in the pommie isle of the local IGA Supermarkets, at $3.50 a small can!!

Wow! That stuff grows like a weed here. You can get plants at the nursery for almost nothing.
I guess it is because it is one of those plants that only the older generation appreciates here.[huh]

 

[Missy Hellfire]

Gosh, I can't imagine a dearth of rhubarb!

I've planted my runner beans out today and I am going to pot my cucumbers on and plant out the first wave of peas. I shall post some pictures when there is someting to see!

Should I be blessed with beans, does anyone know any good ways of preserving runner beans? (other than freezing or canning?)

 

[rumblefish]

The season is beginning all over again. Time to start thinking about what to plant in the coming months.

Yesiree!
I just planted four more fruit trees, all dwarf. Moongold Apricot, Cox's Orange Pippen Apple, Hale Haven Peach and Beurre Bosc Pear.

I call dibs on all your nasty-stuff grapefruits.
You know grapefruit and tequila mix well- rocks, with a chipotle and salt dusted rim.

 

[LocktownDog]

*grumble* Forecast calls for a chance of snow overnight. I swear, next year I'm getting a greenhouse. :eusa_doh:

 

[Colonel]

*grumble* Forecast calls for a chance of snow overnight. I swear, next year I'm getting a greenhouse. :eusa_doh:

Snow??? Wow! The high here today is 93, and the lowest temperature in the 5-day forecast is Friday night when it drops all the way down to 60. That's why the "no grow" season here is in the Summer, not the Winter. Not much grows in the hottest part of Summer here.

 

[jamespowers]

Yesiree!
I just planted four more fruit trees, all dwarf. Moongold Apricot, Cox's Orange Pippen Apple, Hale Haven Peach and Beurre Bosc Pear.

I call dibs on all your nasty-stuff grapefruits.
You know grapefruit and tequila mix well- rocks, with a chipotle and salt dusted rim.

The peach and apricot require different care believe it or not. A friend of mine killed the apricot by using suphur spray or copper spray on it. I forget which. :eusa_doh:

You mean to tell me you soiled good tequila by mixing it with grapefruit juice?!

 

[jamespowers]

*grumble* Forecast calls for a chance of snow overnight. I swear, next year I'm getting a greenhouse. :eusa_doh:

A repeat of last year?!
Oh geez! Get the greenhouse.[huh]